Renovation and finishing in Atgāzene - for detached houses and low-rise buildings

Detached houses, low-rise buildings and the development along Vienības gatve

Atgāzene has detached-house and low-rise residential development with gardens. Of the neighbourhood's 74.5 ha, residential development areas take up 14.4 ha in the north-western part by Atgāzene station, and the same area has a 1.24 ha detached-house zone, while in the south-western part the development resembles that of the neighbouring Mārupe Municipality. Along Vienības gatve and in the central and southern parts of the neighbourhood there are shopping centres, offices and residential buildings, and by the railway there are commercial areas and car repair shops. In mixed development the demand varies: an apartment in an apartment building needs a different list of work than a detached house.

In a detached house all the engineering belongs to one owner, and a renovation can cover a whole storey: floors, walls, the bathroom and heating radiators. In a low-rise or apartment building, the owner owns the apartment's finishing, the non-load-bearing partitions and the utility lines up to the risers, while the risers, load-bearing walls and floor slabs are common property. This boundary determines what you can decide yourself and what needs the association's consent.

The street network in Atgāzene mostly took shape at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and most streets have kept the names of their time. In Riga, for buildings older than 50 years that are not state-protected, the City Development Department can determine the cultural and historical value and the permitted action when it examines a construction intention.

Vienības gatve, the railway halt and what the request should contain

Atgāzene is linked to the centre and the direction of Mārupe by Vienības gatve, Atgāzene station and the nearby main roads. If the house is by a busy street or the tracks, mention it in the request: then window opening finishing and soundproofing can also be discussed.

• detached house, low-rise building or apartment building; year of construction, if you know it
• floor, lift and area in m²
• which rooms to renovate and whether you will stay living there during the renovation
• whether you plan to demolish or move walls
• whether pipes, a riser or radiators will be changed
• the condition of each room

Wall, opening and documents: replanning in Atgāzene

Approval of reconstruction in Atgāzene is handled by the City Development Department of Riga State City Municipality (until 1 September 2021, the Riga City Building Board), and the documents are submitted in BIS. According to Riga Municipality's explanation, for demolishing a non-load-bearing wall in an apartment a certified architect prepares a plan, and a construction notice is submitted in BIS. If the non-load-bearing wall separates two apartments, the owners of both apartments agree. First, though, check the address: odd numbers on Ābolu iela have Riga addresses, while on the even-numbered side the addresses are given by Mārupe parish, so one street belongs to two municipalities. For a house with a Mārupe parish address, the documents are examined by the Development and Construction Department of Mārupe Municipality.

An opening in a load-bearing wall needs a certified architect and a structural engineer, an explanatory memorandum and, if the building is divided into apartment properties, the consent of more than half of the owners. With an explanatory memorandum, work may start only after the building board's mark. In a detached house neighbours' consent is not needed, but the structural engineer's solution for the opening is. See replanning, approval of replanning and does a renovation need a permit.

A riser in an apartment building

If your apartment is in one of the apartment buildings in Atgāzene, a bathroom renovation may require a decision about the riser. A riser is the common property of the apartment owners, so replacing a section of it affects common property and needs the association's consent; turn to the building manager. The costs of managing the building are usually covered according to the share of common property. The owner must allow the building manager's specialists access to the building's utilities, so leave an access hatch by the riser instead of tiling it over tightly.

The apartment's utility lines up to the riser are the owner's part and can be changed during the renovation. See riser replacement in Atgāzene and who pays for risers.

Laminate and vinyl on a level base

If you choose a laminate or vinyl floor in a detached house or apartment, start with the base. The manufacturer Quick-Step states that the panels acclimatise for 48 hours in unopened packaging in the room where they will be laid. It also states that an expansion gap of at least 8–10 mm is left along the walls, and that unevenness in the base greater than 2 mm per 1 m is levelled out. If the unevenness is greater, the base is levelled first. See laminate installation in Atgāzene, vinyl flooring installation and floor levelling.

Radiators: common property in an apartment, yours in a detached house

Radiator replacement in Atgāzene differs by type of building. In an apartment building, the heating elements in an apartment are common property if their operation depends on the building's heating system. The work affects common property, so the association's consent is needed, and draining and refilling the heating system is agreed with the building manager. If, instead of radiators, you want water underfloor heating from the building's heating, that affects common property and requires the association's consent.

In a detached house the heating system is the owner's responsibility, and the placement of radiators can be changed together with floor or wall renovation. In the request, write the number of radiators. Radiator replacement: from €115 per radiator. See radiator replacement in Atgāzene.

Prices for apartments and houses in Atgāzene

Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area. Laminate installation: from €6.50/m². Replacement of a riser section in an apartment: from €100 per riser. Plasterboard partition wall: from €12/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Examples: laminate in an 18 m² room is 18 × €6.50 = from €117. A plasterboard partition wall of 3 m × 2.6 m is 7.8 m² × €12 = from €93.60. For a detached house the total depends on the number of rooms and the scope, so the price there is by estimate. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the house or apartment.